With over 300,000 people in America googling ‘scholarships’ every year, the demand for scholarships is high – and so is the risk of falling victim to a scholarship scam. With “opportunity for all” being our mantra, we want to make sure students are protected. These are our go-to’s for sussing out the real opportunities.

Red Flags

There are several warning signs with scholarship scams. If you come across one of these red flags, file a complaint to one of the bodies outlined in the next section.

Never apply to a scholarship with an application fee. The whole point of a scholarship is to help students pay for their education, not make money from them. If they are asking you for money, they aren’t legit.

Do not apply to a scholarship with money-back offers of guarantees. They should award money when someone has won a scholarship, not when they’re applying.

If a scholarship claims to provide ‘exclusive information’ it’s shady. A real scholarship program won’t bait you into applying for any other reason than to help you pay for school.